ama اما
Tunisian Derja · conjunction
“ama” (اما) is a conjunction in Tunisian Derja meaning but.
Meanings
- but
- however, nevertheless
Usage
"Ama" is the most common conjunction of contrast in Tunisian. It is equivalent to "but" and goes at the start of the clause that qualifies or contradicts what precedes: "behi, ama ghali" ("good, but expensive"). It can also open a sentence to express a reservation, like "however". It is used in all registers, in speech and in informal writing. It should not be confused with "amma… fa…" of Standard Arabic ("as for…"), whose construction is different. Online, it is written with either an initial a or an initial e.
Example
حتّى ب فلوس نمشي اما ما لقيتش كيفاه
7ata b flous nmchy ema ma9tch kfh
“I'd go even if I had to pay, but I haven't found how.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “ama” but also “ema”, “amma”, “eme” and “emma”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.
Type “ama” on the Arabic keyboard
In Moroccan Darija
Spelt the same way in Arabic, the word also exists in Moroccan Darija, where it means “either… or (alternative)”; “as for”: imma in Moroccan.